All buffs & nerfs in Elden Ring update 1.03: Sword of Night and Flame, Mimic Tear Ash, more

James Busby
Elden Ring weapons

The Elden Ring 1.03 update has nerfed a number of popular weapons and Ashes of War, and buffed Sorceries that have been struggling. Find out if any of the best Elden Ring builds have received any balance changes before jumping back into The Lands Between. 

Like previous Soulsborne games, Elden Ring is home to plenty of powerful weapons and builds that players can use to get a competitive edge. Not only do they enable Tarnished to take down bosses with ease, but they can also lead to many multiplayer PvP victories.  

Of course, there are times when certain weapons and Ashes of War can overperform – leading to some incredibly unbalanced fights. While the previous Elden Ring patch focused on fixing the game’s performance issues, patch 1.03 is tailored around balancing a number of popular items. 

While the Mimic Tear Ashes, Sword of the Night and Flame, and Hoarfrost Stomp are amongst the hardest hit, FromSoftware has also buffed certain Sorceries. So, before you go making your next Elden Ring build, be sure to check out all the buffs and nerfs below. 


Contents


All Elden Ring 1.03 buffs and nerfs

All of these changes have been confirmed by the official Elden Ring 1.03 patch notes. Further balance changes will likely happen in the weeks and months to come, so don’t be too disheartened if a certain weapon, Ash of War, or Sorcery has not been listed. 

Elden Ring Sorcery buffs

Ranni in Elden Ring
A number of Elden Ring Sorceries have received a damage buff.

The developers have decreased the FP consumption of a number of Elden Ring’s sorceries, while also raising the damage further. This will make magic builds more viable in PvP and during the early game, where Tarnished don’t have access to an abundance of Cerulean Tears. 

Additionally, the increased damage of the below Sorceries also gives magic users a lot more options when it comes to experimenting with builds. All the Elden Ring Sorcery buffs can be seen below: 

  • Reduced FP consumption and increased the damage of the following sorceries: Glintstone Cometshard/ Comet/ Night Comet.
  • Increased the damage of the following sorceries: Gravity Well/ Collapsing Stars/ Crystal Barrage.
  • Decreased FP consumption of the following sorceries: Star Shower/ Rock Blaster/ Gavel of Haima/ Founding Rain of Stars/ Stars of Ruin/Greatblade Phalanx/Magic Downpour/ Loretta’s Greatbow/ Loretta’s Mastery/ Carian Greatsword/ Carian Piercer/ Shard Spiral.
  • Raised projectile speed and range of Great Glintstone Shard.

Elden Ring Ashes of War nerfs

Elden Ring Mimic Tear Ashes screenshot
The Mimic Tear Ashes have now been nerfed.

A number of Ashes of War have been nerfed in Elden Ring. If you’ve been playing Elden Ring since release, then chances are you’ve heard how potent both the Mimic Tear Ashes and Hoarfrost Stomp can be. 

In fact, both of these Ashes made defeating the game’s bosses much quicker, which made them particularly popular amongst speedrunners. However, FromSoftware has now reduced the damage of both these items. 

While these nerfs will come as a disappointment for those that have enjoyed using them, both the Hoarfrost Stomp and Mimic Tear Ash are still viable. However, those looking for more damage may wish to look into other Ashes of War options. 

  • Decreased Ash of War, Hoarfrost Stomp’s damage, and increased cast time.
  • Increased Ash of War, Bloody Slash’s self-inflict damage while slightly lowering the damage and increasing the cast time.
  • Increased FP consumption and lower duration of Ash of War, Barricade Shield.
  • Changed FP consumption timing of Ash of War, Prelate’s Charge.
  • Decreased the damage of spirit summoned when using the item Mimic Tear Ash and changed the spirit’s behavior pattern.

Elden Ring weapon nerfs

Elden Ring Samurai holding the Sword of Night and Flame
The Sword of Night and Flame was hit with big damage nerf.

While the developers stated that they had made “other enemy and weapon balance changes,” the only weapon nerf that was highlighted in the official 1.03 patch notes was the Sword of Night and Flame

The Sword of Night and Flame was originally one of the best PvE weapons in Elden Ring. In fact, the weapon’s unique skill – Night and Flame Stance completely trivialized bosses and enemies. 

When this weapon skill is activated, the Sword of Night and Flame unleashes a beam of magical energy that continuously bombards foes from afar. This enabled players to quickly eliminate their opponents within seconds. 

However, the developers have now decreased Sword of Night and Flame’s weapon skill damage, which makes it a lot less potent. 


So, there you have it, every buff and nerf Elden Ring update 1.03. Make sure you check out our Elden Ring page for all the latest news and guides.

How to change your appearance in Elden Ring | How to respec your character | Academy Glintstone Key | Smithing Stones | Elden Ring Stonedigger Troll | Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen | Elden Ring Tree Sentinel | Elden Ring Grave Warden | Elden Ring Pumpkin Head | Elden Ring Soldier of Godrick | Elden Ring Godrick the Grafted | Elden Ring Red Wolf of Redagon | Elden Ring Rennala

Related Topics

About The Author

James is Dexerto's Associate Games Editor who joined the website in 2020. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism, before spending four years freelancing for GamesRadar+, PCGamesN, RPS, LoL Esports, Red Bull Gaming, and many more. You can find him covering everything from CoD, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and Monster Hunter. Need to get in touch? Email James at james.busby@dexerto.com.